The present application is at least generally related to horizontal directional drilling operations and, more particularly, to a system, apparatus and methods involving a horizontal directional drilling area network.
Traditional horizontal directional drilling systems often utilize a number of components such as an inground transmitter, a drill rig and a handheld locator. Applicants recognize that communications between these components have typically been limited to minimum functional requirements that are necessary to successfully complete a particular inground operation such as, for example, forming a borehole and subsequent back-reaming to install a utility within the ground.
Because of the complexity of the equipment that makes up an overall modern horizontal directional drilling system, an operator can be responsible for many aspects of system operation, often with little or no external or remote oversight. Applicants recognize a number of concerns in this regard. One area of concern relates to component and system maintenance. In some cases, component or system failure can result due to a failure to follow manufacturer specified maintenance procedures. Another area of concern resides in the need to carefully monitor certain operational parameters as an inground operation is performed to insure that an installed utility is not damaged by the inground operation, to ensure that an inground operation is performed in compliance with a permit or simply to provide supervisory oversight from a remote location, for example, to allow one supervisor to oversee multiple boring projects at once.
Moreover, recording the operational parameters of an inground operation into an “as-built” drawing is becoming a common practice, and in some cases is now a requirement imposed on contractors as a condition to being awarded a project or as a condition to being paid for such project. Applicants recognize that apparatus for recording such data and producing such as-built drawings in horizontal directional drilling projects are currently very limited, and do not allow for remote data storage.
Still another area of concern involves the wide range of regulations that can be imposed by governmental entities with respect to performing an inground operation in a given region, as will be further discussed.
Finally, Applicants recognize that as competition increases in the horizontal directional drilling industry, current systems would limit the ability of companies who provide products and services in this industry to increase sales opportunities and to better service their customers.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.